Drop-head machine



1959 R. PERRINJAQUET 2,874,014

DROP-HEAD MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1957 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROGER PERR/NJAQUE T.

- machine base.

Uni ed State atent ice DROP-HEAD MACHINE Roger Perrinjaquet, New York, N. Y., assignor to Necchi Sewing Machine Sales Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 2, 1957, Serial No. 632,092

- Claims. Cl. 312-30 This invention relates to an improved drop-headmachine. The invention more particularly relates to an improved sewing machine of the drop-head type, which may bev readily removed from its cabinet for use in the manner of a portable.

Drop-head sewing machines are conventionally mounted in their cabinets, such as console cabinets, desks, or the like, bymeans of hinges which are fastened along one edge of the well of the cabinet and to one side of the base of the machine, allowing the machine to be pivoted downwardly into the well in an inoperative storage position, and pivoted upwardly to an operable position above the well. The sewing machine is generally secured to the hinges by means of pins connected to the hinges, which extend into corresponding holes or sockets in the sewing The pins are secured in the sockets by means of set screws which holdthe same fast.

While the machine may be removedfrom the cabinet, this involves a loosening of the set screws, which are generally not readily accessible, and whichis normally beyond the mechanical capabilities of the ordinary housewife who uses the machine.

For all practical purposes, therefore, the machine may be considered permanently attached to the cabinet and is generally only removed by a mechanic for repair purposes or' the like. In many cases, however, itwould be highly desirable to be able to readily remove the machine from the cabinet in order to transport the same or to use the same in the manner of a portable.

One object of this invention is a drophead machine,

which may be very simply and easily disconnected from ing the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the support bar used in mounting the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation partially in section showing the connection of the support bar to the machine shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic partial side elevation partially in section showing the embodiment of a support drip pan connected to the machine shown in Fig. l.

The machine, in accordance with the invention, is a machine of the conventional drop-head type, pivotally mounted by means of a hinge on a cabinet having a well for pivoting between an operable position above the well and a storage position in the well. In accordance with the invention, quick release catch means connect the sewing machine to the hinge, so that the same may be readily disconnected by a housewife for use in the manner of a portable.

Referring to the embodiments shown in the drawing,

2,874,014 Patented Feb. 17, 1959 1 represents a console cabinet and 2 a drop-head machine of conventional construction. The top of the console cabinet 21 has a cut-out defined by the edges 3 and 4 leading into a well 5 below thecabinet top. The cabinet top has. a hinged flap portion 6 with hinge 7, which is generally concealed, so that the opening to the well may be enlarged by pivoting the flap 6 upwardly. The machine 2 is pivotally mounted alongside of the opening into the well by means of a hinge generally designated as 8. The hinge, as may best be seen in Fig. 2, has two support brackets 13, which are screwed into the cabinet top 21. Pivotally connected to these support brackets is a connecting bar 14 which extends parallel to the cabinet top 21. Rigidly connected to the connecting bar 14 are two vertical, cylindrical studs 15 each provided with a notch or slot 16 extending parallel to the bar 14. The left hand portion of the connecting bar 14 has a lug extension 17 which extends downward and which is provided with a V'-shaped end 18. The downward positioning of the lug 17 and the vertical positioning of the studs 15 are described in connection with the hinges position when the tioned that this indentation resiliently engages the V- shaped end 18 of the lug 17 when the sewing machine is in its operable position.

' A'fiat support bar 27 is screwed to the projections 9 at the rear edge of the bed plate 26 of the sewing machine,

. so that the same extends parallel to and slightly below the rear edge of this bed plate.

{The support bar 27, which is preferably constructed of steel or similar structural material and which may best be seen-from Fig. 3, is'provided with two cylindrical holes or'bores 28 which have the same center to center distance as the cylindrical studs 15 and are adapted to receive these studs. A slide bar catch 30 is slidably connected to the support bar 27 by means of the screws 29 which are loosely engaged in the elongated slots 11 in the right angle bent portions 12 of the slide bar. These right angle bent :por tions have the prongs 31 which are so dimensioned that 'thesame will clear' the holes 28 as the bar 30.

is slid to the right, as shown in the drawings, but which will extend across the holes 28 when the bar 30 is slid to the left, as shown in the drawings. The prongs 31 are adapted to engage and lock in the slots 16 of the studs 15. The slide member 30 also has an extension at one end with a slot 34. This slot 34 is adapted to engage a pin 33 at the end of the hand lever 32, which is pivotally connected to the bed of the machine 26.

As may best be seen from Fig. 5, a drip pan 35 is attached to the under side of the bar 27. This drip pan may be made of sheet metal or any other suitable material and is adapted to catch oil, lint, dust, broken needles, etc. and to provide a self-supporting base for the machine by means of the rubber bumpers 36in the event the machine is to be used in the manner of a portable machine. By

means of the hinges 37 at the rear of the drip pan, the

same may be opened from the front of the machine to clean the same whenever necessary. A spring pin 38 engages a corresponding hole 39 in the bed plate of the machine to maintain the drip pan in a closed position.

In operation, the bar 27 is permanently secured to the machine head 2. The bar 27 is connected to the hinge 8 with the studs 15 extending through the holes 28 and the prongs 31 engaging the slots 16. The machine is maintained in its upright operable position above the well 5 with the hinge 8 supporting one side of the machine and the other side of the machine supported by the edge of the bed plate engaging a rabbeted groove along the edge of the flap 6.

If it is desired to lower the drop-head machine into the Well for storage, the machine 2 is first tilted slightly upwardly, pivoting about the hinge 8. The flap 6 may then be pivoted upwardly by means of the hinge 7, allowing enlargement of the cut-out portion leading into the well. The machine then is pivoted downwardly, being forced against the resilient action of the spring 23, so that the end 18 disengages from the V-shaped portion of the spring. The machine is then lowered into the well in the conventional manner. The flap 6 may then be closed and a work-table extension 40 may be pivoted by means of the hinge 41 to close the top of the Cabinet.

When it is desired to lift the machine from its storage position in the well to its operable position, the worktable 40 is again opened, the flap 6 lifted, and the machine lifted out by pivoting about the hinge 8 to a position slightly past its horizontal position. Thereafter, the flap 6 is closed to the position shown inFig. 1 and the machine lowered its horizontal position with the end 13 of the lug 17 engaging the V-shaped portion 25 of the spring 23 and the edge of the bed plate resting on the edge of the flap 6 The machine may then be used in this manner as a console machine.

If it is desirable to remove the machine for transportation or use as a portable, the lever 32 is merely pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in the drawing) which causes the slide bar to slide to the right so that the prongs 31 disengage the slots 16 in the studs 15. The machine may then be conveniently lifted from the cabinet and used as a portable with the drip pan 35 and bumpers 36 acting as a self-supporting base. The studs 15 are maintained in their upright position by the engagement of the V-bent portion 25 of the spring 23 with the Wedge shaped portion 18 of the lug 17.

To return the machine to the cabinet, the same is possible to construct the machine with a member corresponding, for example, to the bar 28 as an integral part thereof or as a part of the; machine bed.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiment shown, various changes and modifications will become apparent to the skilled artisan which fall within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine of the drop-head type pivotally mounted by means of a hinge on a cabinet having a well for pivoting between an operable position above said well and a storage position in said well, the improvement which comprises said hinge having a pair of slotted studs extending in a vertical direction with said machine in its operable position, means on the sewing machine bed defining holes to receive said studs, a slide catch for engaging and releasing the slots in said studs, and a hand lever pivotally connected to said machine bed for engaging said slide catch and sliding the same between its engaging and releasing position. q

2. Improvement, according to claim 1, in which said slotted studs are mounted on a horizontal connecting bar pivotally connected at each end to a hinged bracket.

3. Improvement, according to claim 2, in which one end of said connecting bar has a vertically extending lug and including spring means connected to said cabi net for releasably engaging said lug with said machine in its operable position.

4. Improvement, according to claim 3, including a drip pan defining a self-supporting base for the machine mounted below the machine bed.

5. Improvement, according to claim 4, in which saiddrip pan is a hinged drip pan.

References Cited in the file of this pat ent I UNITED STATES PATENTS Nunn Mar. 8., 1,385,051 Riddell July 19, 1921 1,669,464 Geissler May 15, 1928 1,932,744 Lambert Oct. 31, 1933 2,337,193 Hickey Dec. 21, 1943 2,527,319 Marsac Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 568,972 Germany Jan. 26 1933 

